Premarital Counseling: Is it for You?

Counseling often has a negative stigma attached to it prompting some couples to shy away from premarital counseling, but how do you know if it’s right for you? Attending premarital counseling seems like it is an admission of relationship issues, but in reality, it can help perfectly happy couples build even stronger marriages. With high divorce rates, many couples don’t have healthy role models to look to for guidance. Premarital counseling sessions can equip couples with the tools and knowledge to safeguard their marriages against stress, division, and disappointment. Here are four areas that can be improved by meeting with a counselor before the wedding….

Communication: The key to any healthy relationship is open and honest communication. Premarital counseling gives you the opportunity to express your fears, expectations, and anticipation about the upcoming wedding and marriage in a safe environment. By doing so, you and your soon-to-be spouse will learn how to effectively communicate with one another, an invaluable tool that will be needed throughout your lifetime together.

Expectations: Everyone has expectations about marriage, however common or unique, that have been picked up through the years from witnessing healthy and unhealthy relationships around them. Premarital counseling is the ideal place to discuss these expectations with your partner and eliminate future disappointment. Learning your mate’s expectations and sharing your own will equip you to build a marriage that’s equally satisfying to both of you.

Responsibilities: Each partner plays a significant role in the marriage, but how do you know what responsibilities your spouse is expecting you to take? Engaging in open dialog about the roles and responsibilities you’ll each take on will save you unnecessary frustration and disappointment down the road. Premarital counseling opens the door for you both to discuss and decide how you’ll divide the load, whether it’s with finances, cleaning, career, or child-rearing.

Values: By now, you probably have a very strong idea of where your partner stands on most issues, but what about things that may arise in the future? How do you want to raise children? Will you be dedicated to one religion? What are your views on family? These are huge issues that, when undecided, can place a huge strain on any relationship. A premarital counselor can open your eyes to the ideals that matter most to you as individuals and as husband and wife.